so i like trying new reels....i'm looking for a new reel for a 3wt. setup. i own several Allens and a Hardy DD. i'm torn between the Hardy CC or the Orvis Access. does anyone have experience with either?? quality issues etc?

so i like trying new reels....i'm looking for a new reel for a 3wt. setup. i own several Allens and a Hardy DD. i'm torn between the Hardy CC or the Orvis Access. does anyone have experience with either?? quality issues etc?

I recently purchased a "Hardy Featherweight" for my Sage ZXL. I fished it for the last 3 days and love the feel of 10" & 12" rainbows on it. Balances the rod perfectly with a RIO WF3F and about 50 yards of 20# Dacron. I like the old Hardy click sound on the out-feed. I will probably pick up another for my 4 weight. Not a lot of drag but great for the stream fishing that I do.

Your Hardy DD should be a good indication as to what you'll get if you went with a CC. By all accounts I have encountered, both series seem to be great reels. I've seen them in hand and there's a lot to like about them. They seem to be very well made.

I have the predecessor to the Access series, the Mid Arbor Battenkill. If I had not retired it, it would still be working beautifully. It's a real workhorse and Orvis will service it for you if you have any issues. Mine has never been serviced and works as good as the day I bought it.

A side from 2 Allen Kraken 3 reels, I have Access IV in Titanium for my Helios 5wt and Zenith 7wt and really liking it. The reel is light, it is easy to adjust the drag and the drag setting has numbers for easy dialing. Although I take care of reels and rods, I do tend to be careless with them during fishing. The reel has been dunked and dragged in the sand and rocks. The sand and rocks will get into between the line and on the reel, but I just give it a little shake in the water and ready to fish.

Hardy reels are beautiful, but I don't think they are fully sealed with the Access are. However, they should be great for your 4 wt

The Hardy U DD features a fully sealed, stacked carbon drag that is super smooth, reliable and incrimentaly adjustable. My Orvis Hydros also has a stacked drag (this is the most stylish design of the moment, with good reason) but the rapid increase in drag for a small rotation of the knob decreases fine-tunability. The U CC, like other spring and pawl reels, is not nor does it need to be "sealed".

yeah im not worried aboout a sealed drag for a small creek/ panfish reel. if i need the sealed drag i have the DD. i'm mainly trying to decide which reel based on quality and looks. i know the Hardy is of great quality but ive never even held an orvis reel....